Should kids have tablets before starting school?

We have two 5-year-olds and made the decision not to give them access to tablets. For years, their grandparents have offered to gift them one for Christmas, but we firmly believe kids don’t need them. Honestly, we’ve been proud of this decision. While the kids occasionally ask about getting a tablet, they don’t seem to miss it.

Recently, though, we had a conversation with friends who asked if we were worried about our kids falling behind socially or digitally when they start school. Their child, for example, has learned some English phrases from YouTube and gains confidence playing certain games on a tablet.

Our kids do get some exposure to digital media—they play console games with us occasionally (one or two times on the weekends), we go to the movies a few times a year, and we watch TV now and then. So it’s not like we completely avoid screens.

What do others think? Should children start using tablets before school to give them a head start? Or does it, as we’ve always believed, take away from their childhood? I’d love to hear your experiences or thoughts on this!